Book Commercials & Misanthropic Observations

A book review, sort of

I finally got a hold of readable copy of Dostoevsky’s “The Possessed”.

Finally because I have been wanting and trying to read this one for years.

Wanting because each review and description of it has made me say “I gotta read that”. Granted, I am a huge fan of what little I’ve read through the years; Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov, and so am already biased and it wouldn’t take much to get me to want to read another one of his works.

Trying because I have downloaded the public domain version from the Gutenberg press, and have begun to read the penguin classics version. Both were too heavy for me. It’s hard enough to swim in all the long Russian names, each character goes by both formal names and multiple nicknames. It takes a while for me to connect them. Add antiquated language and I am completely lost.

(call me slow: I once spent a summer attending weekly Shakespeare in the Park because a good friend was in a lead role. The same play every week: “The Tempest”. It wasn’t until the 3rd showing that I was really comfortable with the language and enjoying the punnery.)

This translation was published in 1994 and renders the title “Demons” rather than “The Possessed”. I have much more to say about this book and Dostoevsky in general – I want to talk about all the unnecessary intrigue and drunken explorations of philosophy.

But my hair needs rinsing- the color has been in for 50 minutes now and it may fall out if I don’t go… I’ll have to tempt you with an enticing review later. Stay tuned- you’ll be a Dostoevsky fan yet.